Metaphor in Discourse Elena Semino

Chapter 1 studying metaphor in discourse

Metaphor thinking about sth in terms of sth else. Discourse naturally occurring lg use , real instances
of writing and speech in a particular circumstances produced and for particular purposes. Exploring
forms and functions of metaphors in a variety of texs, connection btw conventionality and creativity.

G8 summit and the use of metaphors in it a battle of metaphors there (people quoted use various
metaphors to convey their own views). Half full or half empty? (the same set of decisions presented
as success and failure).

1. Metaphors and rhetorical goals

The story represented by dif. Views expressed by various people about the decision made by the g8
leaders. Bono talks about what has been done in terms of the climbing of a series of mountains, tony
blair in terms of movement pathway to a new dialogue all speakers use metaphors to contribute to
their own rhetorical goals, conveying views succinctly, vividly, effectively

2. Metaphor, conventionality and thought

Metaphorical expressions used consciously, deliberately to express views as effectively as possible.

Lakoff and Johnson pointed out that metaphors are pervasive I our lg, conventional expressions that
we use and we are not aware of their metaphoricality. They form systematic sets: verbal arguments
in terms of physical aggression armed violence ssocuated with war attack every weak point , various
ASPECTS of life in terms of location, movement, journey. Metaphors we live by 1980 many related
sets like that exist in English , they are conceptualized we not only talk but think about one thing in
terms of another. Such sets of metaphors reflect conventional patterns of thought (conceptual
metaphors), systematic sets of corrsepondences or mappings across conceptual domains, whereby a
target domain (knowledge about arguments) is partly structured in terms of a different source
domain (our knowledge about war), rich mental representations , portions of our background
knowledge relating to experiences or phenomena, may include elements travelers, relations,
patterns of inferences, linguistic realizations of them argument is war, war source domain, argument
is the target domain life (target) journey (source) time (target) money (source) target domains (areas
of experience that are abstract , complex, unfamiliar, subjective time emotion, life death), source
domains concrete simple familiar physical objects (motion, mov. Physical phenomena), , image
schemas (basic experiences, mental representations), life is a journey related to the path image
schema, primary metaphors (basic mappings). Life is a journey can be explained by means of a set of
preliminary metaphors action is self-propelled motion, purposes are destinations. I.A. Richards , Max
Black metaphor can lead to the construction of new meanings, Richards: vehicle source domain,
tenor target domain CMT metaphors shape our world view and the embodied nature of many
conventional metaphors. Some weaknesses of their theory:

Conceptual domains and image schemata are not always sufficien to explain the metaphorical
phenomena in lg use (mentap representations scenes, scenarios are more effective smaller and less
complex and richer in cointent than schemata, metaphorical scenario mental representations of
particular situations, setting, entities, goals, actions) conceptual meaphors are given more attention
less attention is given to metaphorical expressions in lg.
3. Metaphor in lg

Identifying metaphorical expressions. Identification of metaphors using procedure MIP proposed by a

group of scholars the Pragglejaz Group. Decisions on meaphoricity can be made at the level of
individual words , multi word expressions battle of metaphors (battle a single lexical unit, its
contextual meaning contrastdifference/disafgreement, has it a more general meaning in other
contexts?, it contrasts with a contextual meaning?

Similes – an explicit statement of comparison btw 2 dif. Things

Metaphor and word class – most prototypical examples of them involve nouns, conventional
etaphorical expressions lexicalized, novelcreative/innovative not lexicalized. Metaphor and multi-
word expressions: metaphprically used words have tendency to occur in fixed or semi-fixed
expressions often idiomatic, creative exploitation

The pattering of metaphors in discourse:

Repetition ( of some metaphorical expressions in the course of a text), recurrence (different

expressions relating to the same broad source domain in dif parts of a text’), clustering of metaphors
many of them in close proximity , extension extended metaphor metaphorical expressions belonging
to the same semantic field in close proximity used, combination and mixing clash btw metaphors,
literal metaphorical oppositions (metaphorical and basic meanings of exopressions evoked
simultaneously to achieve humorous effects newspaper headlines, signaling accompanmied by
linguistic devices signals tuning devices metaphorically speakling, guising interpretation), intertextual
relations in the use of meaphors btw various texts some salient controversial use of metaphors may
be exploited in other texts to express agreement/disagreement with them

Functions of meyaphors: talking about abstract, complex areas of experience in terms of concrete
physical areas connected often with bodies, important part of creativity, innovation, used to
persuade, explain, evaluate reality ideational function of lg various representations of the same
events, construction f interpersonal relations conveying attitudes, emoions, humour, entertain,
contributes to internal structuring of of relationship in text, summaries, .